2003 · 85 citations · 5 references
EngineeringAutonomous SystemsRobotics EngineeringMobile RoboticsRoboticsSensor FusionAutonomous NavigationNavigation SystemsPose EstimationRobot LocalizationRobot NavigationSensor Fusion For LocalizationDead ReckoningFiber-optic GyroscopesGyroscopesMobile Robot NavigationOdometryPosition EstimationSensor Fusion For NavigationVehicle Position Estimation
Mobile robots typically rely on a mix of absolute and relative sensing, with dead‑reckoning often implemented via odometry, but the use of affordable fiber‑optic gyroscopes is common, yet terrain tilt on uneven ground introduces heading errors. The study aims to mitigate heading errors caused by vehicle tilt by measuring and incorporating tilt into heading calculations. The authors propose FLEXnav, a fuzzy‑logic expert rule‑based system that fuses data from multiple low‑ to medium‑cost gyroscopes and accelerometers to accurately estimate both heading and tilt. Experiments on a mobile robot traversing rugged terrain demonstrate that FLEXnav effectively improves heading and tilt estimation.
Most mobile robots use a combination of absolute and relative sensing techniques for position estimation. Relative positioning techniques are generally known as dead-reckoning. Many systems use odometry as their only dead-reckoning means. However, fiber optic gyroscopes have become more affordable and are being used on many platforms to supplement odometry, especially in indoor applications. Still, if the terrain is not level (i.e., rugged or rolling terrain), the tilt of the vehicle introduces errors into the conversion of gyro readings to vehicle heading. In order to overcome this problem vehicle tilt must be measured and factored into the heading computation. The paper introduces a new fuzzy logic expert rule-based navigation (FLEXnav) method for fusing data from multiple low- to medium-cost gyroscopes and accelerometers in order to estimate accurately the heading and tilt of a mobile robot. Experimental results of mobile robot runs over rugged terrain are presented, showing the effectiveness of our FLEXnav method.
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Non-uniform dead-reckoning position estimate updates
Donald G. Krantz, Maria Gini · 2002 · 14 citations